Cleary's frustration shows Tigers' change

Fuming and frustrated after the Tigers' two-point loss to the Wests Tigers on Sunday, typically calm coach Ivan Cleary told his men they'd thrown away two points against Parramatta as he stormed out of the ANZ Stadium sheds.

"It was the most frustrated I've seen him," winger David Nofoaluma said.

"I think at one stage after the game he wanted to throw his chair or kick something.

"It means something when you see him that frustrated because you hardly ever see it.

"For him to do that there must be something wrong and it has to be fixed straight away because you don't want your coach frustrated especially when he is a calm person."

The Tigers lost five games last year by four points or less under Cleary.

"The game was in our hands and we kept turning the ball over to Parramatta.

"We've got to learn from that because those two points will matter come the end of the year."

Sunday's performance was their scrappiest by far. It was almost like the Tigers of old.

Ten errors and 28 missed tackles. A far cry from the grinding Tigers who have defended teams into submission this year to lift themselves to fifth on the NRL ladder.

But it's why players have vowed to make sure that team from the opening rounds returns against the Warriors in Auckland on Saturday.

Both shock fast starters over the opening six rounds of the NRL season, the two teams have both dropped their last two. Whoever drops a third straight will have to put up with some critics suggesting the bubble might just have burst.

However the Tigers are determined to make sure the wheels don't come off their bus.

"You've got to own up to those games and especially on the weekend," Nofoaluma said.

"We really beat ourselves and he (Cleary) made that clear.

"We can't just move on from that game. We've got to own up to it and take accountability and learn from it so it doesn't occur."

Determined to show why things are different in 2018.

"Last year people would write us off and that was fair enough. We were losing games and we deserved to lose," Nofoaluma said.